By Zac Chapman / Assistant News Director

ST. STEPHEN, Minn. – A St. Stephen family is grieving the loss of their three dogs after they died in a house fire Friday.

The family also lost their home as the fire had spread across the whole home before first responders could arrive.

The Stearns County Sheriff’s Office says the fire happened around 10:40 a.m. The cause of the fire is unknown at this time.

The home, located at 21 6th Avenue Southeast in the city of St. Stephen in Stearns County, belonged to 37-year-old Ronald Holthaus. Thirty-two-year-old Michael Rowley and 30-year-old Samantha Walker of St. Stephen were renting the home.

Rowley and Walker were not home at the time of the fire.